Advertise on podcast: Ta Shma

Drawing close is no simple matter.  At times, it can be difficult—even dangerous.  And yet, to come near is also wondrous: it can nurture, enrich, and expand life.  The possibility of a misstep is always near—but so too are countless opportunities.  The line between one kind of closeness and another is often fine.  It depends on sensitivity, harmony, the insistence on not including elements foreign to the relationship, and attentiveness to the nature of the invitation.

Dedicated in loving memory of my nephew, Yishai Elyakim Urbach, who fell in Gaza one year ago, a few weeks after setting out to build his own home. Tehillim 127:1 "Unless God builds the house, those who build it labor in vain."  Human beings cannot truly build alone.  What we build by ourselves, the psalmist suggests, cannot ultimately endure. And yet one of the most beloved songs sung in Israel on Yom Ha’Atzma’ut insists: “I built a house in the Land of Israel.”  Human initiative—human courage, labor, and creativity—stands at the heart of the Zionist ethos.  Even in religious communities where the day is marked by the recitation of Hallel, a prayer of gratitude to God, the name of the day itself—Yom Ha’Atzma’ut, Independence Day—centers the human story.  

Chapter 12 of the Book of Vayikra deals with the sacrifice of the woman who has given birth.

When we think of the Holocaust, we can only be silent. We are incapacitated emotionally, morally, theologically.  At times it seems that the countless museums and memorials, the ceremonies and journeys, the songs and the prayers, are but a desperate attempt to break free from the paralysis that grips us in its shadow. The Torah, too, knows such a moment when children are consumed by fire, and their surviving family is left with nothing but silence.  

The opening scene of Parashat Shemini is both brief and dramatic.  It depicts the final day of the dedication of the mishkan (tabernacle)—the very day on which Nadav and Avihu die.  

The stories transmitted in the Talmud and midrash present contemporary readers with a rich and delightful entry point into the Rabbinic worldview and mindset, offering moral insights and memorable lessons. At the book launch for How to Read a Talmudic Story, Dr. Jeffrey L. Rubenstein and R. Aviva Richman explore how these narratives illuminate rabbinic values, struggles, and creativity. Together, they consider not only how to read these stories, but what they continue to teach us today.  Recorded in March 2026.  Source sheet: https://mechonhadar.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/mh_torah_source_sheets/TalmudicStoryBookTalk2026RichmanRubenstein.pdf

Midrash Vayikra Rabbah offers an extensive homily on the shelamim (peace or well-being offering) based on the linguistic affinity between the Hebrew words shelamim, sheleimut (wholeness), and shalom (peace).  By examining both the technical details of how the offering was brought and the linguistic potential inherent in its name, the midrash transforms a discussion of ancient ritual into an exploration of the very nature of peace.

The exodus is nothing less than the "orienting event" of Jewish life. But Exodus memory also has another, much more painful side: amidst suffering and devastation, Jews remember the exodus and wonder why, if God redeemed us then, God does not do so now. In this lecture, R. Shai explores the double-edge of memory: exploring how it can sustain us in hope and how, sometimes, it can deepen our despair. This lecture was delivered in memory of Jerome L. Stern z"l in March 2026. Source sheet: https://mechonhadar.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/mh_torah_source_sheets/SternPesahLecture2026HeldLivingWithoutExodus.pdf

The Book of Leviticus, Vayikra, begins: “God called (ויקרא) to Moshe and spoke to him from the Tent of Meeting, saying” (Leviticus 1:1).  Why does God begin with a call?  What is the essence and context of this kind of summoning?

What is the value and beauty of Tanakh? And how are biblical texts aware of, and in conversation with one another? In this class, Rabbi David Kasher investigates the Tanakh's conception of Kingship as it is first formulated in the Torah and then recalled and reconsidered by the prophets and kings. Recorded at the Tanakh Intensive 2026. Source sheet: https://mechonhadar.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/mh_torah_source_sheets/TI2026KasherReadingTanakh.pdf

The Torah portions of VaYakhel and Pekudei describe the practical implementation of the construction plans for the tabernacle (mishkan), originally detailed in Terumah and Tetzaveh.  

The absence of a leader creates a vacuum, and this vacuum invites a question: What kind of leadership are we seeking?  At the beginning of Parashat Ki Tissa, Moshe is absent.  When he ascended the mountain at the end of Parashat Mishpatim, he entered the cloud, and left behind an alternative leadership structure, appointing two individuals in his stead: Aharon and Hur.  Who are they, what happens to them—and what do we learn from them about the essence of leadership?

From a theological perspective, the most striking feature of the Book of Esther is God’s absence.  God’s name does not appear anywhere in the megillah, which—at least on the level of peshat (the simple, contextual meaning)—presents an entirely human story.

Being in a relationship is both an opportunity and a challenge.  Relationships with others have the potential to be life-expanding, but to achieve this they must be built with delicacy and intention of mind and heart.  The Torah portions of Terumah, Tetzaveh, and VaYakhel-Pekudei present various opportunities for encounter and connection—with others in general, and the connection between the Holy blessed One and humanity in particular.

Traditional Jewish exegesis and modern academic scholarship often speak in different languages—one theological and reverential, the other historical and critical. In this public conversation, Rabbi Shai Held and Rabbi David Kasher reflect on how these frameworks shape our reading of the Bible, how they challenge one another, and how thoughtful engagement with both can lead to a richer, more responsible understanding of sacred scriptures. Recorded at the Tanakh Intensive 2026.